Have you ever noticed these weird spikey things in your bird's feathers? What are they?
Pin feathers, also known as blood feathers, are new feathers growing in to replace the ones lost during molting. When feathers are first growing in, they're encased in a sheath of keratin to help them get through the skin and to protect the developing feathers while they still have blood flow. Once the feather is fully developed, the vein will recede and the keratin coating will be ready to flake off. Birds can take care of preening this keratin by themselves pretty well once it’s ready, but if they're a single bird, they might appreciate some help from you on the areas they can't reach on their own (namely their head and neck).
Pin feathers are normal and not cause for concern, but it’s important to understand them so you can keep an eye on them. When the feather is still in the early stages of growth, the quill has blood flow. You can usually tell if the quill still has blood if it's darker near the base (or if it's a light colored feather, you might be able to even see the red blood inside, just look at this picture of Mandy, our Moluccan Cockatoo!) Should this blood feather break, the quill with blood flow acts like a straw pouring out blood, and often doesn’t clot well on its own. You can try using styptic powder (yes, it is safe to use with birds), but often the feather will need to be pulled out completely to remove that open wound.
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